The present invention relates to a filter press in which sludge is compressed and dehydrated between filter cloths, or more particularly relates to a filter cloth driving means used in the filter press.
A conventional filter press as shown, for example, in the publication of Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 53-36772, comprises a plurality of movable filter plates each of which has at least one pressing surface, a guide device for guiding the filter plates in a filter plate moving direction, a plurality of filter cloths extending over the pressing surfaces respectively and being capable of moving thereover, a filter plate driving device for moving the filter plates so that the pressing surfaces adjacent to each other are brought into contact with each other through the filter cloths, a plurality of filter cloth reservoirs which are mounted on the filter plates respectively and which apply a predetermined tension to the filter cloths extending over the pressing surfaces of the filter plates so that the filter cloths are drawn toward the filter cloth reservoirs, a plurality of filter cloth tension devices which are fixed on the filter plates respectively and which draw out the filter cloths from the filter cloth reservoirs so that the filter cloths cover the pressing surfaces with the predetermined tension, shafts which engage with the filter cloth tension devices to supply a driving force to the filter cloth tension devices and on which the filter cloth tension devices are movable in a longitudinal direction of the shafts, and at least one compression device for compressing sludge inserted between the filter cloths between the pressing surfaces when the pressing surfaces adjacent to each other are brought into contact with each other.